Learning Resources

EyeLink Learning Resources

In addition to our legendary support service, we have a range of resources that will help you get your eye-tracking research running smoothly – from setting up your EyeLink system through creating an eye tracking task to collecting and analyzing high-quality eye tracking data. You will need to register with our Support Forum to access many of these resources (highlighted with the symbol: ). All links will work after logging into the support forum in the same browser as this website.

Introduction

Setting up your eye tracker correctly is a really important step and is key to ensuring optimal data quality. We have a range of resources on the support forum that will help you set up your eye tracker and become familiar with its use, including quick-start guides and detailed video tutorials.

Eyelink Portable Duo

Video tutorials for setting up, configuring, and using the EyeLink Duo in its Laptop and Tripod Mount configuration:Equipment Setup Videos

Video tutorials for setting up participants with the head able to move or stabilized with a chinrest:Participant Setup Videos

Introduction

EyeLink systems can interface with a wide range of stimulus presentation software packages, including commercial products such as E-Prime and Presentation, as well as software such as Psychtoolbox, OpenSesame and PsychoPy. You could even program tasks and control EyeLink systems using Python and other languages. In all cases the stimulus presentation software can control the eye tracker (for example starting and stopping recording), send messages into the data file (for example marking stimulus onset or participant response) and receive gaze data during recording over the link (enabling gaze-contingent paradigms). You can of course also use our own powerful and intuitive stimulus presentation software – Experiment Builder, which makes programming complex eye tracking tasks very straightforward.

Experiment Builder

SR Research Experiment Builder is our drag-and-drop program for making computer-based psychology and neuroscience experiments. It’s easy to use but also incredibly powerful. Experiment Builder can be downloaded and used in evaluation mode for 30 days without a license.

Experiment Builder is very easy to learn, and our 12-part video tutorial series is a great place to start. It leads you through Experiment Builder’s key features, in the context of a simple Picture-Response eye tracking experiment. For a detailed overview of the topics covered, and to access the video series itself, please visit our Support Forum:

Finally, we have a large number of commented experiment templates and example projects that to you can use as a starting point for your own projects, or as a way to learn more about Experiment Builder. For a complete list of templates, expand the bar below:

Templates/Example Projects

Experiment Builder comes with pre-installed templates:

Simple: Basic template for eye-tracking experiments

Stroop: Basic template for non-eye-tracking experiments

Picture: Shows how to use/display image resources

TextLine: Display single-line text, and auto-generate interest areas for it

TextPage: As above, using multi-line text

GCWindow: Using real-time gaze position to display a gaze-contingent window

Track: Display gaze position, set resource position based on gaze location

Psychtoolbox

Psychtoolbox for Matlab comes with native support for the EyeLink eye-tracking systems, and many example scripts that demonstrate the full range of integration – from basic control of the eye tracker, through implementing gaze-contingent tasks, to adding integration messages for Data Viewer analysis software. These resources are available from the support forum:

E-Prime

Psychology Software Tools’ E-prime software can be integrated with EyeLink systems via the user script and inline scripts embedded within your Experiment. Example scripts demonstrate the full range of integration functionality, including examples of how to implement gaze-contingent tasks.

Presentation

Neurobehavioral Systems Presentation software can be integrated with EyeLink systems through function calls via the PresLink Extension. We provide example scripts that illustrate the full range of integration functionality, including gaze-contingent stimulus presentation and Data Viewer integration.

OpenSesame

OpenSesame is an open source stimulus presentation software that is also based on Python. EyeLink integration can be achieved via PyLink and via an Eyelink plugin for OpenSesame. Follow the link below for OpenSesame resources.

Programming Languages

Our Software Development Kit enables experimental tasks to be implemented in a wide range of programming languages, including C, C# and Python. The Software Development Kit is absolutely free and can be downloaded from the support forum.

Introduction

Analyzing eye tracking data can seem like a daunting task, but we have a range of resources to help, including our powerful and intuitive Data Viewer Analysis Software. EyeLink Data Files can also be imported directly into Matlab or R.

Matlab

There are a number of ways in which you can work with EyeLink Data Files (EDF Files) in Matlab. You can convert the files to ASCII or import the EyeLink Data Files directly. More information on both of these approaches is available on the Support Forum – just follow the link:

Introduction

EyeLink systems can be integrated with a wide range of other neurophysiological recording devices, including EEG and fNIRS equipment. A range of common integration solutions are outlined below. More detailed technical information is available on the support forum.

g.tec

g.tec is a medical engineering company with 20 years of experience in brain-computer interfaces. They have a page outlining the integration between the EyeLink 1000 Plus and their g.Nautilus dry or gel-based wireless EEG via their g.EYEtracking Interface. This link will take you off our site and to their page for more information about g.tec and EyeLink integration.

EGI

Philips-EGI are pioneers in the field of dense-arrary EEG recording. We have worked closely with Phillips-EGI to bring very high levels of integration between EyeLink systems and Net Station 2. Our stimulus presentation software Experiment Builder can directly control EGI systems and EyeLink eye trackers. For more information please go to our dedicated page.

Neuroscan

Compumedics Neuroscan is a lead­ing provider of tech­nolo­gies for high-density EEG record­ings and electromagnetic source local­iza­tion. Integrating Neuroscan EEG hardware with EyeLink systems is very straightforward and simply requires a trigger cable. SR Research Experiment Builder has dedicated nodes that facilitate integrating Neuroscan EEG with EyeLink systems. More integration information is available on our EyeLink-Compumedics Neuroscan integration page.

NIRx

NIRx provides integrated solutions for fNIRS neuroimaging. Tests conducted at NIRx headquarters in Berlin confirm that, unlike some other infrared eye trackers, EyeLink systems do not create any interference with the NIRS signal. Integrating their hardware with EyeLink systems is quite simple, requiring only two cables. For stimulus presentation and data collection integration you can use Experiment Builder, E-Prime, Presentation, PsychToolBox, etc. More information is available on our NIRx and EyeLink integration page.

Introduction

If you’re interested in eye tracking using a particular paradigm, we have comprehensive webinars on a pupillometry, psycholinguistics, and dynamic stimuli.

Pupillometry

For an introduction to recording and analyzing pupil data, there’s a webinar on pupillometry on the Support Forum. The webinar covers background material (pupil physiology/why pupil data is interesting), experimental design considerations (non-cognitive influences on pupil size, pupil foreshortening effects), converting pupil area values to mm, and analysis approaches (difference from baseline, time-series).

Psycholinguistics

A webinar on the Support Forum covers programming and data analysis for reading and visual world experiments. More specifically, it covers the following topics in the context of a simple eye tracking experiment for reading and visual world experiments:

Dynamic Stimuli

If you’re interested in designing and analysing experiments using dynamic stimuli such as videos, there’s a webinar on the Support Forum. Experiment Builder topics include creating simple dynamic stimuli from patterns, displaying videos, and audio and video synchronisation. Data Viewer topics include creating a beeswarm, dynamic heatmap, and dynamic interest areas as well as isolating “pursuit” eye movements.

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